11 things for concentration to grow
- Keeping own body, behaviour, belongings and surroundings completely clean
- Having routine in recognizing the sign of calm and the sign of non-distraction
- Ballancing the abilities of faith vs. understanding and energy vs. concentration evenly
- Controlling, confining and restraining the mind, whenever necessary
- Pushing, prodding and exerting the mind, whenever needed
- Gladdening, encouraging and easing the mind, whenever suitable
- Looking on, just overseeing the mind in equanimity, whenever appropriate
- Avoiding unconcentrated, agitated, diffuse and scatter-minded people
- Friendship with concentrated people with direct experience in absorption
- Frequent reviewing of the mental absorptions (jhanas) and the mental liberations
- Commitment to focus the mind into one-pointed and absorbed Concentration
(from Samyutta Nikaya 46)